Jewish organizations in 31 countries throughout the world have filed requests with the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany for funds to carry out relief and rehabilitation work among Jewish victims of Nazi persecution, it was announced by the Conference here today.
The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, which was a co-claimant with Israel in the $822,000,000 reparations agreement negotiated with the Bonn Government last year, reported that the requests for the first year’s installment of relief funds are in excess of $54,000,000. This is more than six times greater than the $8-9, 000,000 which is expected to be available for distribution this year for the relief, rehabilitation and resettlement of Nazi victims outside Israel.
The rules of the Conference permit applications to be filed by Jewish organizations for allocations to be used in any country in the world where Jewish victims of Nazi persecution may reside. Urgency of need is a basic prerequisite in the consideration of applications by the Conference. Of the applications filed, a total of $40,000,000 is requested for material relief and rehabilitation throughout the world, two-thirds of which is for use in European countries.
Included is an application from the United Restitution Office for funds to provide legal aid to indigent Nazi victims seeking to file claims under West German restitution and indemnification laws. The balance of $14,000, 000 has been requested for use in Jewish cultural rehabilitation which includes projects for education, research and publications and the salvage of intellectual and cultural treasures destroyed by the Third Reich.
Applications have been filed by organizations operating in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Italy, Luxemburg, Norway, Saar, Yugoslavia, Great Britain, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, United States, Guatemala, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay, Australia, South Africa, Rhodesia. Philippines and Indonesia.
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